First Round of Bands Announced for Wacken Open Air 2026

We may already know one major name on next year’s edition of Wacken Open Air, but the organizers of one of the largest European festivals also released the first list of bands slated to play next year’s event. And while this isn’t nearly as cool as the videos and drone show they put on this weekend to make this very announcement, you at least can see the list in the comfort of your own home — with or without pants on.

Of course, some major names will be making their way back to the festival. We’re talkin’ Lamb of God, In Flames… the bands you’d expect to see at a festival this big. Then you’ve got some legendary names on the list like Nevermore, Sepultura (who will be playing their final Germany show here), and Emperor. But even more interesting in some circles is the fact that Def Leppard will be making their Wacken debut in 2026.

As it stands, here’s the list of bands revealed in the initial announcement:

Naturally, there will be way more names added to this list as time goes by. There are some pretty prominent bands that I’m almost willing to bet money that they’ll also grace the stages when Wacken takes place from July 29 to August 1 next year.